PCs: The Missing Manual Book Review
PCs: The Missing Manual
Book Review
 By
Dale Farris, Reviews CoordinatorGolden Triangle PC Club March 2006 General Overview Your vacuum comes with one. Even your blender comes with one. But your PC--something that costs a whole lot more and is likely to be used daily and for tasks of far greater importance and complexity--doesn't come with a printed manual. Thankfully, that's not a problem any longer: PCs: The Missing Manual explains everything you need to know about PCs, both inside and out, and how to keep them running smoothly and working the way you want them to work. PCs: The Missing Manual is one of the many "Missing Manual" titles from O'Reilly Publishers. All these super Missing Manual titles are worth their minimal investment, as all focus on learning about the particular topic with material that is usually NOT included with computer hardware and software when you purchase these products. A complete PC manual for both beginners and power users. PCs: The Missing Manual has something for everyone. PC novices will appreciate the unassuming, straightforward tutorials on PC basics, such as hooking up a monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and scanner. Families will enjoy sections on networking several computers to share an Internet connection, sharing one monitor between two PCs, connecting portable media players, and creating a home theater system. Adventurous PC users will like the clear photos explaining how to take your PC apart and replace or upgrade any failing parts. IT professionals will be grateful to have something to hand to their coworkers who need solid, trusted information about using their PC. In PCs: The Missing Manual, bestselling computer author Andy Rathbone delivers simple, reliable advice on the kinds of things PC users confront every day. He shows you how to connect and configure today's must-have devices, including digital cameras, portable music players, digital camcorders, and keychain drives, burn CDs and DVDs, scan and fax documents, and more. His section on the Internet explains how to choose the best Internet service provider and web browser for your needs, send email, find information quickly on the Web, share photos online, set up a blog, set up a webcam, access TV and radio through the Internet, and safely shop online. Rathbone also delivers plenty of guidance on keep your privacy and your PC safe by installing firewalls, creating safe passwords, running antivirus software, removing spyware and adware, and backing up important files. Table of Contents The 17 chapters are organized in five parts, including the following: Part One: Your PC's Main Parts Ch 1: Inside Your PC Ch 2: Keyboards and Mice Ch 3: Monitors and Video Ch 4: Printers Part Two: Multimedia Ch 5: Digital Cameras, Camcorders, and Webcams Ch 6: Scanners Ch 7: Sound Ch 8: Digital Music Players Part Three: Storing Information Ch 9: Hard Drives and Floppy Drives Ch 10: CD and DVD Drives Part Four: Talking to the World Ch 11: Getting Online Ch 12: Email Ch 13: Surfing the Web Ch 14: Networking Part Five: Talking to the World Ch 15: Security Ch 16: Fixing Common Problems Ch 17: Advanced Troubleshooting In addition, the book has an additional Part Six that contains the five Appendices. Appendix A: Setting Up A PC Appendix B: Memory Cards and USB Drives Appendix C: Other Cool Things You Can Do Online Appendix D: Dealing with Technical Support Appendix E: Packing a Laptop Bag Target Readers In this book, you will find tons of helpful hints that will help you perform the many basic computing tasks that have grown complex, complicated, or just plain annoying since PCs first hit the retail market. The purpose of the book is to serve as the manual that should have been in the box when you bought your PC. Author Rathbone covers instructions for using every part of your PC, letting you fine-tune the tasks you are familiar with, figure out the ones you have only heard of, and learn about the ones you did not know you needed, until now. The book is designed to accommodate readers at every technical level. The primary discussions are written for advanced-beginner, or intermediate computer users. However, if you are a first-timer, special sidebar articles called "Up to Speed" provide the introductory information you need to understand the topic at hand. If you are a seasoned veteran, keep your eye out for similar shaded boxes called "Power Users' Clinic." These offer more technical tips, tricks, and shortcuts for the experienced computer fan. The book assumes you have Windows XP installed on an IBM-compatible PC, and it tosses in a morsel or two of information about Linux, but only as a last resort to resuscitate a PC when Windows XP has grown too faint to revive. Next, you should be reasonably familiar with Windows XP's basics, such as how to open and close windows, and how to navigate to folders and open them. The book also has a nice companion Web site, www.missingmanuals.com, that provides articles, tips, and updates to the book. Also, at http://missingmanuals.com/cds you will find links to the free and shareware programs that are described in PCs: The Missing Manual, as well as other of the Missing Manual series. At this site, just click the letter that corresponds to your book title to find links to the missing CD-ROM, example files, and related downloads. Book Contents 597 pages; paperbound; acknowledgements; introduction; tons of tips and notes; figures; tables; screenshots; appendices; index; cover colophon Author Andy Rathbone About the Author Andy Rathbone started geeking around with computers in 1985 when he bought a 26-pound "portable" CP/M Kaypro 2X. Like other nerds, he soon began playing with null-modem adapters, dialing computer bulleting boards, and working part-time at Radio Shack. He wrote articles for various techie publications before moving to computer books in 1992. Andy first wrote "Windows for Dummies" back in 1992, and since then he's updated the book for every subsequent version of the operating system. All of the editions combined have sold more than 11 million copies. He's also the author of "Upgrading and Fixing Your PC for Dummies" and "Tivo for Dummies." All told, Andy has more than 15 million books in print, making him one of the bestselling computer book writers on the planet. He's been on bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, and many others. Andy can be reached at his Web site, www.andyrathbone.com. ISBN December 2005 - First Edition 0-596-10093-0 List Price $24.95 $34.95 CAN About O'Reilly Media O'Reilly Media is the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences, and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators. 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